"Culture and bureaucracy are the two barriers. People just need to stop hugging their data. People love their data so much."

"Culture and bureaucracy are the two barriers. People just need to stop hugging their data. People love their data so much."

-- Dan Morgan, chief data officer at the Department of Transportation, as quoted by CIO.com

I had to smile when I read this quote.  So that's what makes Business Intelligence, #EMI (Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence) and other data analysis applications so enticing.  We DO love our data!  In the industrial automation market, data makes stuff work.  Data makes the visibility and control of processes possible.  And you need to treat your data with respect, because if you don't believe it, processes can quickly get out of control.  This becomes not only a profitability issue, but a safety issue and a sustainability issue.  So yes, we need to hug our data.  We need to understand it, keep it close, nurture it and let it safely grow.